Sunday, October 18, 2009

(New York, October 17, 2009) – The Syrian government should reveal the fate of the prominent lawyer and rights activist Haytham al-Maleh, 78, who disappeared on October 14, 2009, and should release him immediately and unconditionally if it is detaining him, Human Rights Watch said today.

Three Syrian human rights activists told Human Rights Watch that they believe that Political Security is detaining him. Two said they believe that the reason for his arrest is a phone interview that aired on October 12 on an opposition television station, Barada TV, in which he criticized the Syrian authorities for their ongoing repression of freedom of expression.

"Given Syria's usual response to criticism, it would come as no surprise if they have 'disappeared' this 78-year-old human rights activist for no other reason than a television interview," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "If the government is holding him, they should say so and release him."

On October 13, Political Security, one of Syria's multiple intelligence services, summoned al-Maleh for interrogation, but he refused to comply. He left his house the next morning and has not returned. When friends tried to reach him on his cell phone around 12:30 p.m. it was turned off. His relatives and friends have been unable to obtain any information on al-Maleh's whereabouts.

Al-Maleh is one of Syria's most prominent lawyers and human rights activists. He was imprisoned from 1980 to 1987 for his activities in the Freedom and Human Rights Committee of the Syrian Lawyers Union, the local bar association. In 2001, he co-founded the Human Rights Association in Syria, an unlicensed human rights group. In 2006, the Dutch government awarded him the Geuzen Medal for his "courageous fight for human rights," but the Syrian government did not allow him to travel to the Netherlands to receive the prize in person.

Syria has a long and persistent record of jailing people who express views critical of the government, on the basis of laws that broadly restrict free speech. Most recently, on July 28, State Security, another intelligence service, detained Muhannad al-Hasani, 42, the president of the Syrian Human Rights Organization (Swasiah). Two days later, an investigative judge charged al-Hasani with "weakening national sentiment" and "spreading false or exaggerated information." He is in jail awaiting trial.

"Syria is busy welcoming foreign diplomats and talking about peace and development, but to its internal critics, it only unfurls the prison mat," Whitson said.

An important statement against terror that should be heard and echoed. It is important because it specifically condemns terror not just against other Muslims, but against non-Muslims as well:

Some sick-minded people have started talking about assassinations as if they were a tradition established by the Prophet. This is more than a misunderstanding – it is delusional. Did the Prophet permit the execution of the leaders of Quraysh in Mecca when they sought to stamp out the Muslims in their midst? No. Or the leaders of the traitorous hypocrites in Madinah when the sought to undermine the nascent Muslim community? No. Did he call for executing the leaders of the Jews when there was a covenant between them? No. Did he ever grant anyone the right to pass personal judgment over others and their faith and carry out punishments? No. Never did he permit such things. What chaos would have been worse than that? But this is what these people today want to reduce us to.

Sanity has at last overtaken a part of the Muslim world, because it is finally understood that terror and unlimited war will destroy everything and everyone if it is unchecked:

I assert, on the basis of certain conviction, that the people who follow that extreme path, if they ever come into power, will bring destruction and ruin to everything. Society, from its civil cohesion, to its family integrity, to its agriculture, would waste away. Those people would foster civil strife and suffer for it in turn. This is because they have deviated from the straight path. They have no understanding of Islamic teachings and the wisdom behind those teachings. They are ignorant of the natural laws that Allah has placed in His creation. Therefore, they will never be successful and never find divine support. That is for certain, as anyone who has understanding can see. Nevertheless, those people are quite successful in spreading chaos and confusion. They are good at misleading the simple-minded and causing discord, and they are given support in this whenever we are silent, mince our words, or withhold judgment.

This article contains some harsh words for those who choose to follow the path of violence. However, I find it necessary to use a harsh tone – which departs from my normal writing style – in order to confront those people who take up arms with the purpose of bringing death to numerous people and reducing societies to ruin.

When I wrote about al-Qaeda, some of my dear friends took exception to my doing so, warning me that I would be the brunt of libel and attacks upon my honor, or worse. However, I replied that the situation required that we speak clearly and frankly, and it does not matter what people will say.

I have persistently called upon our sincere scholars and preachers – and continue to call upon them – to describe things by their proper names, and to disassociate the word "jihād" (a word rich in meaning which is found in our sacred texts) form the activities of those killing organizations which murder innocent people and undermine security in societies around the world – regardless of whether those societies are Muslim or non-Muslim – since carrying out atrocities and targeting civilians is categorically forbidden in Islam.

Today, I must stress how important it is for us to condemn the abominable and criminal acts being perpetrated around the world in Islam's name and which are being misrepresented as "jihād". We must expose those acts and the people who carry them out by calling them what they really are, whether their perpetrators refer to themselves as al-Qaeda, or a jihad organization, or a militant organization or an "Islamic state". It is not enough to give vague indications and make ambiguous general statements.

At the same time, I must stress that it is the right of every country in the world to defend itself against external aggression and to carry out resistance against an invader or occupying power. This is an international right acknowledged by all nations. Nevertheless, carrying out such legitimate resistance neither justifies nor excuses the targeting of civilians and innocents, regardless of where they are.

It is not enough that we speak up. Things have gone farther than that. A crisis has rent the intellectual and cultural fabric of our society. Therefore, I appeal to myself and to my fellow preachers to condemn this great evil in the clearest and most unambiguous terms, an evil which is causing bloodshed, destroying society, and blackening Islam's good name. It is also hampering our development, bringing ruin to our countries, inciting transgression against human life, while violating both the tenets of Islam and the dictates of basic human values.

Therefore, we must take care not to confuse our message by discussing other wrongdoings at the same time we discuss this matter, tying them in with each other. Some ignorant people might claim that we are justifying those atrocities or seeking an excuse for them. Indeed, we should not bring up the question of terrorist attacks when we discussing social and political issues, or the media, and say: "This is the cause of that. Avoid these mistakes so as not to give cause for extremism…" This is not a good way to address the matter. It could make some of those people feel, when they see things they dislike, that they have an excuse to perpetrate acts of violence. We need to make a clear distinction between issues, and take care how we speak, so as not to unwittingly have a negative impact upon such people.

We should be wary of how we use the words "but" and "however", words which can lead some young people to fall into misunderstandings, as if what we are saying has many angles to it which can be interpreted in various ways.

The problem we are addressing is one of blind civil strife, where "every time it seems to come to an end, it just goes on" as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in an authentic tradition describing the tribulations of the Last Days. The onus of quelling this strife and exposing how it violates Islamic teachings falls upon the sincere scholars and preachers of Islam who do not fear the censure of others and who feel no hesitation in calling a crime a crime, regardless of the consequences.

I do not care if some people who dislike what I say are going to accuse me of working for this or that interest group, or of being a "government stooge". I call Allah to witness for what I say. My condemnation of terror stems from my religious faith and my firm convictions. No one has any sway over my beliefs. I am neither for nor against the governments. Regardless of the consequences, I am against deviance, destructive behavior, and acts of atrocity in general, and especially when those acts are perpetrated in the name of religion. I make my position plain.

I do not care if my opponents insist on making false accusations against me. I say what I mean, loudly and clearly. These are my religious beliefs, which I have not changed and which have not been any different in the past. However, there is a more pressing need today than at any previous time to reiterate those beliefs and announce them all the more forcefully. Indeed, ever since the outbreak of these violent acts, speaking out against them has become a religious, educational and moral imperative for anyone who cares about the future of Islam, our country, the generations to come, and preserving what little stability is left in the Muslim world.

That which is happening in Somalia and elsewhere is a heartbreaking tragedy. Everything is being laid to waste and people are killing each other over the ruins – all in Islam's name. People have being killed by the droves, without pause, even in the month of Ramadan.

I declare that Allah does not make right the deeds of those who perpetrate atrocities. Nor does He bring the plots of the deceivers to right guidance. Those who, in the name of Islam, kill innocents – and very often they happen to be Muslims – or who claim that by doing so they are upholding Islamic teachings, they will not succeed and they will not set things right. Rather, they will face Allah's punishment and become a warning to others unless they repent beforehand.

Al-Qaeda is not what it was before September 11. It has turned into a media phenomenon with many people claiming the name merely for its symbolic value, mobilizing the youth under its umbrella. In this way, the strategy has changed, the evil has shaken loose from its reins and become like shrapnel all over the place, possessing a regional character but making a global noise. Al-Qaeda has become like a trademark that anyone can get hold of and carry out their activities in its name. It is no longer a cohesive organization with strong ties between its leaders and followers.

I call upon those who still make excuses and hesitate when they speak to think about the judgment they will face when they will stand before Allah. They should not let the oppressive acts of governments or their policies – like what took place in Algeria – or the embargoes that governments impose upon them, cause them to be unjust. The heavens and the Earth are only set aright by justice.

The merciful thing to do is to tell those young people who have been deceived, and those who are set to join their ranks tomorrow, that: "This path you are taking is not going to bring you to your goal. It will not save you from Hell or earn you Paradise. Whoever wants success in this life, salvation in the next, and Allah's pleasure should adhere to the true teachings of Islam and keep far away from bloodshed and strife. Do not attempt to reinterpret the faith so as to justify acts that are clearly and patently evil. In the boldness with which you commit such mortal sins, you engage in crimes far worse in Allah's estimation than those whom you purport to condemn."

This should be the message that parents give to their families, that mothers teach their children, that teachers impart to their students, and that preachers address to their congregations. The condemnation of terror should not be connected with any official campaign, media drive, or salaried work. Rather, it should come from an inner sense of religious duty, from our obligation to raise the next generation correctly and to call people to what is right. It should be carried out with the intention of fostering reconciliation in society and building bridges between ourselves and those who disagree with us, which can be achieved on the basis of our shared concern to safeguard our faith and our worldly lives. In our thinking, we need to get beyond defending our individual interests and look to the general good and to the future. Our concern should be for society: its common folk and its leaders, its rich and its poor, those who are righteous and those who are sinners. All of these people are part of our society, and we must share a sense of loyalty with them all.

When we talk about this issue, which is of the utmost seriousness, we must not mix it up with talk about other things. Those other matters might very well be equally important, or more important, or less. In any case, those issues can be addressed on other occasions.

In all earnest, I call upon our young people to discuss this matter both in person and on the Internet, to uncover the reasons why some people have sympathies for such activities and organizations and how to remedy the causes for those sympathies. I call upon them to hold fast to the clear and explicit teachings of Islam, as set forth in the Qur'an and Sunnah, which warn against sowing dissention, killing, and murder. Indeed, this was one of the last exhortations that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made to his followers at the end of his life, on the occasion of his final pilgrimage.

Some sick-minded people have started talking about assassinations as if they were a tradition established by the Prophet. This is more than a misunderstanding – it is delusional. Did the Prophet permit the execution of the leaders of Quraysh in Mecca when they sought to stamp out the Muslims in their midst? No. Or the leaders of the traitorous hypocrites in Madinah when the sought to undermine the nascent Muslim community? No. Did he call for executing the leaders of the Jews when there was a covenant between them? No. Did he ever grant anyone the right to pass personal judgment over others and their faith and carry out punishments? No. Never did he permit such things. What chaos would have been worse than that? But this is what these people today want to reduce us to.

I assert, on the basis of certain conviction, that the people who follow that extreme path, if they ever come into power, will bring destruction and ruin to everything. Society, from its civil cohesion, to its family integrity, to its agriculture, would waste away. Those people would foster civil strife and suffer for it in turn. This is because they have deviated from the straight path. They have no understanding of Islamic teachings and the wisdom behind those teachings. They are ignorant of the natural laws that Allah has placed in His creation. Therefore, they will never be successful and never find divine support. That is for certain, as anyone who has understanding can see. Nevertheless, those people are quite successful in spreading chaos and confusion. They are good at misleading the simple-minded and causing discord, and they are given support in this whenever we are silent, mince our words, or withhold judgment.

May the peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, who brought the clear message and established the clear proof. And praise be to Allah, the Lord of All the Worlds.

Perhaps, at last, the tide is turning against the insanity of extremism. Here is one clear statement about terror. It is yet to be determined if "civilians" mentioned in this rhetoric include non-Muslims.

The following message is MM's response, as approved by the Shayookh, to all those who suggested (in the Sh. Salman Oudah + MM Shayookh post) that the so-called, self-styled "mujahideen" be given benefit of doubt, that perhaps they are "misunderstood" or wrongly portrayed by "the media." Furthermore, suggestions have been made that these terrorist outfits, including alQaeda do not target civilians:

In response to those who suggest that the errors (i.e. terrorism) of al-Qaeda et al. should be over-looked, since they are (supposedly) "fighting Jihad," we say that these "errors" are grievous acts which result in the death of countless innocent civilians. These are not acts that can simply be excused or overlooked, but rather such atrocities must be condemned with the strongest words.

Take, for example, the recent targeting of a UN food programme office. Will they argue that this is an act of war where civilians "accidentally just happened to be there?" Unfortunately for them, there are simply too many cases of these so-called "mujahideen" hitting targets that are quite obviously full of civilians. It is implausible to just keep chalking that up to collateral damage and keep giving them "benefit of the doubt," while their actions are killing so many civilians. At some point, it becomes very clear that this is their mode of operation. It simply is not acceptable to be sympathetic towards them and keep giving "70 excuses," given all the atrocities they have committed.

And if it is claimed that al-Qaeda et al., in reality, dissociate from every act where civilians are killed, then our response is that those who are claiming thus should be in agreement with Sh. Salman when he stated:

Al-Qaeda is not what it was before September 11. It has turned into a media phenomenon with many people claiming the name merely for its symbolic value, mobilizing the youth under its umbrella. In this way, the strategy has changed, the evil has shaken loose from its reins and become like shrapnel all over the place, possessing a regional character but making a global noise. Al-Qaeda has become like a trademark that anyone can get hold of and carry out their activities in its name. It is no longer a cohesive organization with strong ties between its leaders and followers.

Specific individuals within an organization can disavow responsibility because, as Sh. Salman stated, organizations like al-Qaeda don't have a direct line-of-command structure to begin with. But as Sh. Salman continues, independent groups can claim affiliation, whether legitimate or not, and carry out attacks without express consent from upper management, thus giving them plausible deniability while the campaign attacks continue.

A better question to ask is not who is responsible, but rather, do they sanction and consider legitimate such techniques? Would they speak up and condemn the killing of Muslim and non-Muslim civilians to clarify what is and is not 'proper' jihad? Why don't these groups ever speak up against the killing of civilians, and why don't they ever speak up against targeting places where it is well-known that there will be civilians, such as embassies. If they do not approve of these actions, then why don't they speak up and differentiate themselves? Why is the onus on us to clarify whether certain resistance movements are legitimate or not, when they are - on the surface - in support of such actions, even if they themselves might not necessarily partake in them? Why don't they release these statements through their 'reliable' media outlets?

Finally, in response to those who claim that we cannot take information from various general media outlets, due to the Quranic injunction "O you who believe, If a fasiq comes to you with news, then verify it...," we note that such information is reported almost unanimously across the board, by both Muslim and non-Muslim sources, in addition to countless Muslim eyewitnesses to the atrocities.

Furthermore, the way that the term "The Media" is being used is utterly fallacious. "The Media" does not exist in the sense that is intended by such statements. It is as if every journalist and every mainstream and alternative media outlet that have reported on matters of terrorism are part of a grand conspiracy.

Rather, it is incorrect to say the media outlets are untrustworthy as a blanket statement. In fact, principled journalists are some of the best sources of real information about these issues. They write under their own names, with a sincere commitment to objectivity, with their professional reputation at stake for any missteps.

Of course, they also have biases, but those are easily discernible, as are the impacts of their biases on the overall argument. It seems clear that the mainstream media as a whole is trustworthy though relative degrees of ideological and source bias can skew certain messages dramatically. Some single sources, such as Fox News, are untrustworthy and unreliable. But, in reality, if anything, it is the jihadi media that has proven over time to be utterly unreliable and propagandistic. The ayah, "If a fasiq comes to you...," that they use for mainstream media reports is more applicable to their own sources; if we consider the definition of a fasiq as one who sins openly or insists on a sin, then alQaeda, et al. clearly qualify, as they repeatedly commit actions which result in the deaths of many civilians.

Anyone who uses tactics that affect civilian populations, is simply not worried about civilians. It is well-documented that al-Qeada in Iraq targets civilians to undermine the government forces and create fear. It is the same modus operandi from place to place. The whole point of terrorism is the targeting of civilians to create fear and undermine civil law and authority because the perpetrators cannot wage a conventional war. Terrorism, in any form, simply must be condemned in the strongest of terms. It simply does not matter whether the perpetrators of these atrocities label their actions as "jihad" or mass-murder.

As Muslims who care about the laws of Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, we must always condemn such actions and their perpetrators.

Comments are closed for this post, as there is no room for negotiation and discussion in clear matters. Cheerleaders of terrorism, and defenders of terrorists, can go find their own sites to engage in despicable rhetoric.

Those who know a bit of Middle East history understand the deep irony of the suicide attack on Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) entered Lebanon in 1982 and trained the Hezbollah. The Hezbollah soon carried out the first of several suicide bombings. The first one was against an Israeli army barracks in Lebanon, attributed by Israel to gas cylinders exploding. Then there were suicide attacks against American marines and others.

The proverbial chickens have now come home to roost. Someone, probably sent by Al-Qaeda, evidently blew themselves up in order to kill five or more IRGC commanders in Iran. What goes around, comes around. Once the genie of terror is out of the bottle, it is hard to replace it.

Don't even think about gloating. It does not require sympathy with the Ayatollah regime to understand that a take over by Al-Qaeda would be far worse. In the Middle East, the bad regimes are always protected by the fact that the replacement would be worse, no matter how bad the regime may be.